Wellness briefly

January 13, 2014

As the cold weather blankets the area, a growing number of seniors may find themselves stuck in life-threatening situations. They may slip and fall, their car might break down, and they may get lost, confused or stranded - literally left out in the cold.

That's why Visiting Angels, one of the nation's largest in-home senior care agencies with locations in Minot, Bismarck, Dickinson, Fargo, Grand Forks and Jamestown, has launched the "ICE a Cell Phone Safety Campaign" to help seniors in case of emergency. To "ICE" a cell phone, you load emergency contacts in seniors' phones with the word "ICE" in front of the emergency contacts' names so when someone finds a senior in trouble they know who to call in case of emergency.

Visiting Angels will "ICE" a senior's cell phone for free, or will teach families how to "ICE" a senior's phone. They hope this will become a universal emergency plan a quick way for emergency responders to pick up a senior's cell phone and press the letter "I" to find seniors' emergency contacts quickly.

"We urge families to 'ICE' seniors' phones or come by our offices and we will 'ICE' seniors' phones for free," said Larry Meigs, CEO of Visiting Angels. "We care for thousands of older Americans, and we constantly hear stories about how families need an emergency plan for seniors."

For more information, people are encouraged to call Stacey Hilton at 919-459-8163.

Alzheimer's presentation set for Thursday in Rugby

The Alzheimer's Association of Minnesota and North Dakota will offer a free presentation entitled "Know the 10 Signs." This presentation will take place on Thursday from 2 to 3 p.m. at the Heart of America Library, 201-3rd St. SW, Rugby. This presentation is free and open to the public; registration is not required. This project is supported by funding granted through the North Dakota Department of Human Services, Aging Service Division.

The warning signs of Alzheimer's disease are often dismissed as side effects of normal aging. If you or someone you know is experiencing memory loss or behavioral changes, it's time to learn the facts. Early detection gives you a chance to begin drug therapy, enroll in clinical studies and plan for the future. Attend this interactive workshop to learn the 10 Warning Signs of Alzheimer's disease.

Bright & Early launched to support providers

BISMARCK - According to Zero to Three National Center for Infants, Toddlers and Families, 90 percent of a child's brain development happens before the child enters kindergarten. To support early childhood development and quality child care, the N.D. Department of Human Services launched a new program called Bright & Early North Dakota that will help foster a child's early success by providing training, support and resources to child care professionals.

Licensed child care providers in Cass, Stutsman, Ward and Williams counties are invited to participate in four informational meetings from Monday through Jan. 23 to learn about the new Bright & Early North Dakota program and how it can create a thriving future for children and enhance their child care programs.

Bright & Early North Dakota is a voluntary program which provides a roadmap to help child care providers focus on school readiness through a multi-step process that will help children be ready for kindergarten and successful in school. Child care providers will receive support through one-on-one coaching from a trained child care consultant, grant dollars to purchase educational toys and materials for their programs, bonus awards for achieving program goals and recognition for achieving and maintaining levels of quality in addition to licensing.

Pre-registration is required. Informational meetings are scheduled in Minot for today from 6:30 to 8 p.m. There is no cost to attend the meetings. Providers must register online at (tinyurl.com/brightnd) or by calling 218-299-7237. An email confirmation will be sent to registered participants along with meeting location details. All meetings have been approved for 1 1/2 hours of Growing Futures training.